Hotel, flight bookings spike as fans head to grand finals, aka Katy Perry and Kid Laroi concerts

Hotel, flight bookings spike as fans head to grand finals, aka Katy Perry and Kid Laroi concerts

Hotel bookings in Sydney are expected to spike ahead of the Penrith v Storm NRL Grand Final with Melbourne reaping the rewards of two interstate teams playing in the AFL Grand Final last weekend.

In the case of Swans fan who attended the Katy Perry concert, they filled hotel rooms throughout the southern capital as did Brisbane Lions fans, boosting the occupancy rates to 82.7 per cent, a 1.2 increase on last year’s AFL grand final weekend.

At least 40 extra return flights to Melbourne from Sydney and Brisbane were needed to bring 130,000 fans to the city for the event. Virgin Australia reported scheduling more than 6,500 additional seats for AFL semi-finals, preliminary final and grand final.

Melbourne’s average room rate rose 2.1 per cent to $335.58, according to STR, a subsidiary of global real estate analytics provider CoStar.

Over the past four years, 22 new hotels opened in Melbourne, adding 5187 beds, according to the JLL Hotel Development Register. Another seven venues with 1860 rooms are still in construction or yet to be open, including the Shangri La on Exhibition St. Meanwhile, the first bookings were taken in Lanson Place with its 137 rooms, near Victoria’s Parliament House, last month.

Meanwhile, a long weekend will fuel demand for rooms around the NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium in Homebush on Sunday, or what will be known as the Kid Laroi concert for the loser.

Virgin Australia has added 1,200 passenger seats to and from Sydney for this weekend’s NRL grand final, including four additional return flights between Melbourne and Sydney and three additional return flights between Brisbane and Sydney, recognising Melbourne Storm has a large following in Brisbane. Qantas has put on two additional A330s this weekend.

“Sporting events can be a great boost for the tourism and accommodation sectors but it is clear cost of living pressures are affecting people’s confidence to travel,” new Accommodation Australia chief executive James Goodwin said.

“Melbourne was fortunate the two teams in the AFL Grand Final were from interstate prompting an increase in those needing to find accommodation.

“Occupancy rates were above 80 per cent for the weekend for Melbourne properties and well above the yearly average which highlights the value of attracting and promoting sporting events, concerts and festivals,” he said.

“We are confident rugby league grand final will provide a positive boost to the greater Sydney economy.

“An interstate team always helps but unfortunately our sector can’t determine who’s on top of the leaderboard!”

‘Bleisure’ travel to NRL Grand Final adds to demand 

Corporate Traveller’s booking data also revealed a surge in corporate “bleisure” travel to Sydney for the 2024 NRL Grand Final, with 68 per cent of corporate travellers extending trips to two or more days and a 38 per cent YOY increase in bookings of seven days or more.

The data from Corporate Traveller, the flagship SME division of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), revealed two-to three-day trips are the most popular overall bleisure option chosen by corporates in 2024 –making up 33 per cent of bookings, trips of four to five days accounting for 10 per cent.

However, the most significant increase is found with trips of seven days, this category has seen a 38 per cent year-over-year increase in bookings, rising from 13 per cent in 2023 to 18 per cent in 2024.

Compared with last year’s bookings, the trend towards longer stays remains strong. In 2023, bleisure bookings accounted for 71 per cent of all bookings, with two-to three-day trips making up 34 per cent, four to five-day trips at 15 per cent, and trips of seven or more days at 13 per cent.

Corporate Traveller global managing director Tom Walley said the data reflects a sustained interest in bleisure travel during major sporting events like the NRL Grand Final.

“The continued high proportion of bleisure bookings to Sydney for the NRL Grand Final indicates that more corporates are combining business with leisure to experience the excitement firsthand. It’s a positive sign for the industry and showcases the growing appeal of rugby league,” he said.

“The appetite for longer stays given nearly one in five bookings is for trips of seven or more days underscores Sydney’s appeal as a bleisure destination. This trend is beneficial for major sporting events as well as local businesses and the tourism sector.”

Meanwhile, Sydney added 2271 beds in 11 new hotels over that four-year period along with the Waldorf Astoria, has another five under construction.

The Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm face off in the NRL Grand Final this Sunday. Photo: NRL.com

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